Joseph MCLAUGHLIN

ABT 1789 - ____

[3224]
According to court house records in Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., PA,three McLaughlin brothers settled in that county. Each had a son namedJoseph, making it diffficult to identify the father of Joseph.

[2635]
Alexander Nichols, the namesake of Captain Alexander Huling, had aprosperous but tragic life. He apparently was a hard-working,intelligent man. He was born to James and Elizabeth (Huling) Nicholson January 28, 1717 in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Early in his lifehe won the affections of his grandfather, Thomas Nichols, one of thefounders of his native town. In about 1739, Alexander married thesweetheart of his youth, Mary Spencer. As a wedding gift, the elderThomas gave him two tracks of land in East Greenwich, one of 100acres, the other, of 20 acres. Both parcels were given on 13 Jan 1740,"for a better livelihood and more comfortable maintenance." The youngcouple's happiness , however, was short lived, for not long after thebirth of their only child, William on 14 Jul 1741, Mary passed away.

Two years later on January 29, 1643/44, Alexander took a second wife,the widow of John Gould, Sarah (Gardiner) Gould. She was born inExeter, Rhode Island on May 5, 1716 to Isaac Gardiner of Exeter andhis wife Elizabeth Davis of Kingstowne. At about the same timeAlexander purchased from his father, sixty-two and one half acres ofland in East Greenwich for £ 1,200. A year later in 1747, he inheritedan additional 100 acres from his grandfather, Thomas. Alexander, atthe age of twenty-seven, now held title to at least 282-1/2 acres ofland in East Greenwich. Alexander and Sarah were married eight yearsand produced four sons. But then, on March 20, 1752, Sarah died inchildbirth delivering their only daughter, who would be named Sarah.Their children were all born in East Greenwich.

Upon the death of his second wife, Alexander at the age ofthirty-five, was again a widower, but this time with five young sonsand a new born baby. He quickly needed to find a new wife, a motherfor his children. Soon he would marry Sarah Browning. It is reportedthat they had two children, but probably nether survived to maturityfor they are not mentioned in either of the wills of Alexander orSarah. It also seems that Sarah Browning helped raise an illegitimateson of the young Sarah Nichols. In the latter part of 1769, youngSarah, at the age of seventeen, gave birth to a child conceived by herfourteen year old distant cousin, William Gardiner of East Greenwich.This child, named William Gardiner Nichols, grew up in the home of hisgrandfather and step-grandmother Sarah and continued to stay with themlong after young Sarah, his mother, wed Samuel Vaughn in 1772. SarahBrowning must of had a profound impact on her family, for it is in herremembrance that her stepson, John pays tribute to by naming a child"Browning." Thus starting a tradition that continues to this day.

Sarah probably lived on at her home, presumably with her step grandchild William, though the home now belonged to James, who would livethere with his growing family. This living relationship did not lastlong, for in the 1790 Census records, James Nichols and Sarah Nicholsshow up as heads of separate households, although the listings areconsecutive.

Sarah would live on for another ten years, making her will out onJanuary 26, 1791 in East Greenwich and passing away in 1800. Her willwas Probated in South Kingstown on April 15, 1800.

[2639]
Will proved 26 April 1788. He gave the homestead farm to his sons
John, James and Isaac. He left the farm in North Kingston, where Isaac
then lived, to his sons William and Silas, and daughter Sarah Vaughan.
He gave 20 acres to his son James and grandson William Nichols, son of
Sarah Vaughan; a lot to son William, tools to three sons John, James
and Isaac; William Nichols his wearing apparel, one milk cow, his gun
or fowling piece and writing desk. He directed that William be brought
up and have suitable schooling.

The following is from A Nichols Genealogy by George Louis Nichols,Rev.ed., 1988:

Alexander's Will is dated August 16, 1784. He died four years later in1788. Upon his death, Alexander divided his homestead farm in EastGreenwich between his sons, John, James, and Isaac. John receivedtwenty acres, James, thirty-five, and Isaac received twenty-sevenacres which included a dwelling house. He bequeathed a ninety acrefarm in North Kingstown to his children, William, Silas, and Sarah, tobe divided equally between them. Sarah's share was to be held duringher life time and then divide equally between her two sons, WilliamGardiner Nichols and Alexander Vaughn. Alexander willed twenty acresof land, purchased from the estate of Richard Green in the Township ofWarwick, to his son James and grandson William, son of Sarah, to bedivided equally between them. His wearing apparel was to be dividedequally between all his sons and grandson, William. He also directedthat William be educated by being "brought up and have suitable schoollearning and that the expense thereof be paid out of my estate." Aspecial affection for this grandson seems to be an underling currentin Alexanders wishes, for he also makes a bequest to him "of onemilked cow, my gun or fowling piece and writing desk." A "Ceader SwampLot lying in West Greenwich" went to Alexander's son William. Hisfarming tools and utensils when equally to his sons, John, James, andIsaac. One third part of his household goods were divided equallybetween his five sons and daughter, Sarah. As for his wife Sarah,Alexander named her executrix of his will. In which he bequeathed toher the "remaining two-thirds part of all household goods andfurniture, together with all my personal estate," plus "profits andimprovements of one-third part of all my real estate in fullsatisfation of her right of dower."

[9625]
They were married by Thomas Hill, Justice of the Peace at what wasthen called Quidnessett..